Welcome to AtomWatch - world nuclear power news and analysis

This blog is aimed at tracing the world news related to nuclear power development internationally and in particular countries. Being an independent resource, we accept all kinds of opinions, positions and comments, and welcome you to discuss the posts and tell us what you think.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Atom Watch

What do you usually think about when you hear speaking about nuclear power plant? Hmmm...Let's try to make a brain storming. Sit down, take a piece of paper and a pen... and write down anything that comes to your mind.My row of words looks like this:Chernobyl, explosion, radiactive, desertion, danger, top secret, zone...Enough to applaude and say BRAVO you are brainwashed?!!Could well be. Growing up in 80's Belarus and hearing about radiation all the time, mostly from gossips and people in streets and sometimes from doctors in local clinic (all kids in my class at school had enlarged thyroid, so had I and still do)... And as from media - we heard quite opposite. Usually silence. Or just some calm-down statements from higher officials. Needless to say, we all grew up suspicious ti media and relying more on what we hear with our own ears and see with our own eyes.But anyway scared. This phenomenon is sometimes mentioned as "radiophobia" (read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiophobia ).Modern world opens doors to much larger informational flow then we used to have in ex-USSR or even in modern Belarus. Internet is able to open doors an borders. There comes another problem - how do we "filter" information? Are we still being manipulated, or we are able to create our own opinion on the issue? What do we know about modern world of nuclear technology? Is "peaceful atom" really a good alternative to oil and gas that cause global warming?Questions to be answered by everyone interested, answered by him-her-self... But once it affects your life, you just cannot remain indifferent.I am starting up this blog because I am indifferent already. Being a journalist, I made a detailed study of what they write about Chernobyl in Belarusian press, and made several conclusions one of which is that WE ARE NOT GIVEN the appropriate information (will publish some of it later on here). Some of the info is hidden, some "misused".What I desided to do is to try (at least try!) to publish online some info which could be found on the web or picked from other sources, which can be debated, compared, and simply take into consideration... to see at least the part of the correct and true picture of nuclear energy today.

To collegues journalists: feel free to republish any part of this blog, but please refer to Atom Watch blog and send me the link to your article. I am open to cooperation, you can contact me anytime by email or ICQ. Also you are welcome to post your comments, both professionals, specialists and just anyone interested.Let's watch - and maybe we together are able to see the true nuclear picture of the world where we live.

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This blog is devoted to major events going on in the world of nuclear technology and run by a journalist and researcher from Belarus studying in Sweden, willing to draw public attention to atomic technology development, security and consequences of its usage. Is the "atom" really so peaceful as we are told on TV?

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